


Love Is Alive

by Between_A_Dream (orphan_account)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 10:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7797685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Between_A_Dream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The gems have never celebrated Christmas, and Steven simply can't accept that. So he decides to show them the holiday spirit, including kissing under the mistletoe, baking cookies, singing Christmas carols, and giving out presents. Even though he honestly has no idea why they're actually traditions in the first place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Is Alive

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Thank you so much for your support and for reading! This story is based on the song "Winter Song" though it's technically not a song fic itself. If you know the song, you probably know the version recorded by Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles. But, there is a cover version by Deni Hlavinka and Hadley Kennary that I like a little better and I think it sounds more like how Sapphire would sing it. So if any of you would like to check that version out and listen to the song, I suggest strongly searching it as sung by those two artists instead. Just a suggestion of course!
> 
> Also, I know it's not Christmas or close to it, but I had the idea and I didn't wanna lose it, and I actually had the inspiration to write the entire thing in a few hours. I hope you all enjoy!

Christmas was Steven's favorite time of year. Normally, either because the gems were on a mission or he was too young to convince them it was a wonderful time of year, he spent the night and following day with Greg. But this year, his dad was out on a business trip, and the gems were home. There was no mission to complete and no gem artifact to collect, so the young gem found it the perfect opportunity to teach them about the holiday.

Of course, he wasn't very religious. In fact, he had never once set foot in any church, prayed to any God, celebrated any holiday in the name of religion, or even opened the cover of any bible. But he didn't think Christmas was about the supposed story behind it. The gems had confirmed that they had never heard of or met a messiah, and they had been on Earth far before humans existed. Steven simply enjoyed the holiday for the joy of spending time with his family and the feeling of love that was everywhere he went.

It was the 15th of December when he dragged a tree into the house. With his newfound strength, it was an easy task that he could perform alone. He smiled as he set the tree in the tree stand near the window.

"Steven! What are you doing? You got pine needles all over the floor! And why is that tree in here?" Pearl's voice startled him and he whipped around.

"Oh, hey Pearl! It's a Christmas tree! Don't worry, I'll clean up the needles!" he promised. Garnet then walked into the room, and she couldn't hold back a laugh.

"Anyone want to explain why there's a tree in here?" she asked. Pearl looked to Steven, still not knowing yet why he had brought the tree inside.

"It's a Christmas tree! You put decorations on it to celebrate!" he explained excitedly. The two gems looked between each other, then back at the younger one. "I know, you guys don't usually celebrate human holidays, but this one is about love and family and being together," he explained.

"Woah! We got a tree! Cool!" Amethyst's voice sounded as she walked into the temple, carrying a pizza in her arms. She swallowed it in a single bite, and though it was nothing new, Pearl still rolled her eyes and looked away in disgust.

"It's for Christmas," Steven explained yet again. He picked up a nearby box of his dad's old decorations and set the down by the tree. "You decorate it and then you put presents underneath to open on Christmas Day!" the young hybrid gem rambled on to the point where it had lost its endearing touch. At least, to Pearl it had.

"Steven... You know we love you and respect your Earth rituals, but... Well, is this going to end up like the birthday incident?" she questioned.

"What? No of course not! It's a lot of fun, even for adults, I promise you guys will love it!" though they were uncertain, the gems exchanged a knowing look and silently agreed to try the holiday out.

Within five minutes, Steven and Pearl were busy decorating the tree. Amethyst was outside hanging lights along the edge of the roof, and Garnet was inside hanging decorations around the other parts of the house. The young hybrid gem grinned when he saw the fusion hanging a familiar green decoration on the ceiling.

"Garnet, you're under the mistletoe!" he giggled. Though Garnet seemed to know more about human customs than the other gems did, the meaning of her current position was still a mystery to her. He ran over and laughed. "It means you have to kiss someone!" he explained. He was half expecting her to unfuse so Ruby and Sapphire could kiss, but he also wasn't surprised when the taller gem simply chuckled and picked him up, kissing him on the forehead.

"Wait, why do you have to kiss someone under the mistletoe?" Amethyst questioned, walking inside with a strand of rainbow lights embedded in her hair. Though it could have been an accident, Steven found it more likely that she had purposely put them there.

"Well, because you- Well... Actually, I don't know. It's just something people do. When two people are under the mistletoe, they just have to kiss. It's tradition," he explained as best he could. He didn't really understand it himself, so he could only hope the gems didn't question him any further.

Thankfully they didn't- Pearl had grown accustomed to decorating and she seemed to thoroughly enjoy the process. Garnet only flashed the boy a smile and Amethyst laid back on the couch, letting out a loud yawn.

The decorating was finished far earlier than Steven expected, so he decided it would be fun to sing some Christmas songs. He picked up his ukulele from his bedroom and made his way back down the stairs. He sat on the part of the couch that wasn't covered by Amethyst and began to play.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas  
Just like the ones I used to know  
Where the treetops glisten  
And children listen  
To hear, sleigh bells in the snow..."

Though traditionally a song he had only heard on piano, Steven liked the unusual sound his ukulele brought to the song. The gems smiled as they listened to the youngest member of the team sing. They always enjoyed his music, though the song was an unfamiliar one to them. He played on for awhile, going through classics he had heard and learned growing up.

Without warning, a blinding light filled the room. Ruby and Sapphire were suddenly in the place where Garnet had been. Before anyone got a chance to ask, their question was answered. Ruby had her arms around Sapphire's waist, and the blue gem had her arms around her partner's neck. The two swayed back and forth slowly, and no one could deny that in that moment, they were utterly too cute for them to put into words.

* * *

Ruby and Sapphire stayed unfused for the holidays. It was obvious that it wasn't for any bad reasons- They were still always together holding hands and giggling with each other, even kissing when under the mistletoe. According to them, it was simply to obey the tradition, but everyone on the team was pretty sure they walked under it more than they needed to on purpose. There would be times they would walk under and kiss just to sit on the opposite end of the room. And while it was cute to the point where it almost made them sick, no one had the heart or the will to tell them to stop.

It was the 17th of December when Sapphire was actually alone. It was then when she approached Steven, her eye uncovered and looking nervous, something the young boy had never seen before. Usually the blue gem was in complete control of her emotions. Unless it came to Ruby. When it was anything involving her companion, she was an emotional wreck. The fact that Steven could actually tell she was feeling anything was clue enough that it had something to do with the other half of Garnet. Still, he asked despite himself.

"Hey Sapphire, what's up? Where's Ruby?" the second part was something he didn't know the answer to, and though he was curious, it was more so it would look like he was actually looking for an answer.

"Amethyst took her to the boardwalk to see if she can get her to try eating," the blue gem chuckled, her face, being the light shade it was, easily giving away her blush. Just thinking about her partner did that easily.

"Awe, do you miss her?" Steven teased. Of course he knew she did, it was quite obvious, but he rarely got a chance to talk to Garnet as her two halves instead of her fused self, so he enjoyed teasing them about their love. Even though he found it completely adorable.

"Well yes, but that's not why I need you. I uh... Well, I wanna do something special for Ruby, you know for uh... What did you call it? Christmas?" she questioned, wanting to make sure she pronounced it correctly.

"Yeah, that's right. And awe! That's so sweet! What did you have planned?" the young gem questioned. If she had nothing, he already had four or five ideas running around in his head as back up.

"Well... I kind of wanted to do a song... I wanted to perform something, but I don't know a lot of Earth music, so I was wondering if you would help?" Steven had never seen the blue gem act so nervous and giddy. It was like she was a love struck teenager, and in a way, the young boy realized, she kind of was. She rarely got the opportunity to be herself. She was always too busy being Garnet, and in the perspective of a gem's lifespan she was still quite young.

"That's perfect! I could help you learn a song, and I could play back ups! Awe Sapphire this will be perfect! But you'll probably have to stay unfused until Christmas... You don't want Ruby finding out," he realized.

"Right... I'll talk to her, and tell her to keep it a secret we have to stay unfused," she promised. As if sensing that she was the topic of conversation, Ruby burst through the door.

"Amethyst, that was disgusting! I still can't believe you ate that taco! It was on the ground! And it came out of a trash can! That was two weeks old!" though Garnet often saw Amethyst eat things that most would consider unspeakable, Sapphire usually managed to keep her from reacting so strongly. But now that they were unfused, she had nothing keeping her emotions at bay. The purple gem shrugged and chuckled at her friend's reaction.

Sapphire honestly found it endearing and adorable when her lover was hotheaded and angry. She knew bubbling just beneath the surface of the tough skin and even tougher reputation that the ex-solider had built for herself was just a big, soft, hopeless romantic who could be the sweetest person in the world or the nastiest, depending on your relationship with her.

Despite her outburst, the moment she laid eyes on her lover, Ruby couldn't hold back a smile. "Hey, how are you?" she asked, pressing a kiss to the blue cheek.

"I'm ok. But we're... Well, we're gonna have to stay unfused... At least until Christmas," Sapphire explained after a moment. Ruby looked at her, slightly confused but not upset.

"Is something wrong?" she questioned.

"No! No not at all, I promise! I just... I have an idea and I want it to be a secret," Sapphire rushed through her words, blushing dark blue. Ruby couldn't help but find it adorable.

"Awe, ok Sapphy, but only for you!" she giggled, pressing a kiss on the blue gem's forehead. The blush only darkened by at least seven shades, and her face, though usually a rather cool temperature, burned with azure heat.

* * *

It was the 21st of December and Ruby didn't realize until then that she absolutely HAD to get Sapphire something perfect. Naturally, she went to the one who knew more about human culture than any of them.

"Steven!" she found the boy sitting on his bed, luckily alone. He had been spending almost all his free time in the fast few days with Sapphire lately, no doubtably discussing something secret that she didn't know about. Under normal circumstances, not knowing would've driven her crazy, but she figured that she would know soon enough. Besides, more pressing matters were at hand.

"Hey Ruby! What's up?" the hybrid gem smiled, though he quickly slid a single piece of paper under his pillow. Sapphire had decided that instead of performing any random song, she wanted to write one. That was a bit more challenging than just teaching her some lyrics, but she was actually doing quite well. They had made some great progress in the past few days. Of course, Ruby didn't and wasn't allowed to know any of that.

"Well, I know you said Christmas is a time for presents... I need your help deciding what I should get Sapphire. I honestly have no clue how presents work. Do you just buy something? Or do you make it?" her cheeks were burning and she was obviously insanely nervous, so Steven offered a warm smile and placed his hand over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll help you! Though I'm pretty sure Sapphire is gonna love whatever you get her," the young gem chuckled, and though he was trying to make Ruby feel better, he also knew that was the truth. Not just because she had told him, but because he knew the sheer amount of love it took to hold their fusion together, and that love would not decrease or be broken by a present. If anything, it would increase their love for each other, but only slightly, since Steven couldn't really imagine how two beings could love each other any more than they did already.

"But Steven, that's just it! I don't _want_  her to just love it because it's from me and because she loves me. I want her to  _really_  love it. And I want her to love it for itself and not just because I gave it to her," Ruby's cheeks were scorching. Steven's were hurting because he couldn't hold back his smile that stretched almost entirely across his face.

"Awe! Don't worry Ruby, I promise we'll find the best present ever!" he vowed and he meant it. He wasn't going to rest until he had helped the red gem find the perfect gift for her partner.

"Ruby? Steven? Where are you two going so early?" Pearl's voice stopped them as they started towards the door. They turned and Ruby blushed while Steven giggled. He ran over to Pearl and whispered his plan, just in case anyone was listening that he couldn't see. The white gem occasionally looked at Ruby as the boy whispered to her, the entire time with a sincere smile on her face.

"Alright, you two have fun! Be back before sunset though!" she called as Steven bounded over with a smile on his face to where Ruby stood blushing like a madwoman.

* * *

It was the 23rd of December when Sapphire finished her song. She was an absolute roller coaster of emotion over the course of the writing process, and now that she had finished, she could relax, but only slightly. She reread over every word with the cautious gaze that only few possessed. Even though she knew Ruby would like it, she really wanted her partner to _love_ it, and not just enjoy it because she enjoyed hearing her sing.

Singing with words was something that Sapphire didn't usually do. Her usual melody, though now nearly six millennia old, didn't have them. She hadn't known the words to describe her feelings that night where she and Ruby had fused for the first time voluntarily, so she had decided she simply didn't need them. But she based her song on all the feelings she had kept bottled up inside for so long, pouring every ounce of emotion into each individual letter of each individual word.

Ruby was equally as anxious about her own gift. She and Steven had spent the past two days out looking through stores, but none of them had really appealed to either of them. Though, it was more Steven who avoided a lot of them, knowing stores like "Beach City Gift Shop" wouldn't do, especially not for Ruby's expectations.

It was then that he remembered a store his dad had taken him in New York, which wasn't a super long drive from their current state. Though he was too young to drive and Ruby had no knowledge of how to, Steven found a quick solution.

"Hey, Connie? It's me Steven!" he giggled as he dialed the familiar phone number.

"Hey Steven! Merry early Christmas!" the young girl giggled into the phone.

"Merry early Christmas to you too!" he laughed back.

"What's up?"

"Well I'm helping Ruby get a present for Sapphire-" he was cut off.

"Awe! That's so sweet! Wait, is Garnet unfused?" she asked, surprised. Though she had never met the two smaller gems that Garnet was made of, she did know stories from Steven and she knew it was rare for them to be apart.

"Yeah, just for the holidays. They don't wanna spoil their presents! Anyways, there's this really awesome store that my dad took me to once in New York, and I was wondering if you wanted to come? Since my dad is out of town and I can't drive alone, I was wondering if Stevonnie could come?" though it was a completely real need, he also secretly just wanted to fuse. He completely understood why Garnet was fused to often and why it was so hard to be apart. Fusion was an incredible experience, and imagining Ruby and Sapphire, being in love for six millennia, he couldn't begin to comprehend how deep their connection must be.

"I'd love to Steven! But I have to talk to my parents. I don't know how they'd feel about it," she explained nervously. Her parents, since the incident at the hospital, had greatly let up on her about a lot, and they had even started letting her go on missions more often. But she still found it best to check in with them about certain situations. "I'll be right back, let me just go ask," she set the phone down and Steven waited patiently.

"Is she allowed?" Ruby asked nervously. The younger boy chuckled.

"She's asking now, but I'm sure she will be allowed, seeing as how when we go on missions they're way further away than New York," he promised. Sure enough, Connie had good news when she came back to the phone.

"My parents said I could go! But they told me that one of the gems has to come no matter what. Ruby is coming, right?" she asked.

"Yeah! Great, have your parents drop you off here as soon as they can! See you soon Connie!" he smiled and hung up.

"What are you two dudes up to?" Amethyst chuckled from behind.

"We're going to New York! To help Ruby find a present for Sapphire," he explained happily.

"Awe, does the 'eternal flame' have a cool spot for her Sapphy?" Amethyst teased, and the red gem blushed so dark that her body literally started steaming.

"Awe come on Amethyst, don't be mean," he laughed. Within half an hour, Connie arrived, and Steven ran outside to greet her. Stevonnie was the one who walked back in the building.

"You must be Ruby! Nice to meet you," they grinned, kneeling down and offering a hand.

"Nice to meet you too," Ruby chuckled. The two of them made their way outside and the red gem followed Stevonnie to Greg's car wash.

"Greg said we could use this when we wanted, but only if there was an adult around. I think six thousand years old is long enough," they laughed, and Ruby couldn't help smiling as she got in the car's passenger seat.

The drive to New York was quick, only lasting about two hours. Even Ruby couldn't deny that while Steven and Connie were both still just kids, they were pretty exceptional drivers when they were Stevonnie. As the car drove past tons of sky scrapers and buildings, it suddenly veered off down a smaller, worn out road. It took the vehicle to a small, seemingly run down store. As Stevonnie stepped out of the car, then unfused back into Steven and Connie.

"This way we can all help look, we'll cover more ground," Steven explained. Though from the looks of the building, there wasn't much ground to cover.

"Uh, Steven, are you sure about this place?" Connie asked, looking around.

"Yeah, it looks kinda... I don't know... Bad?" Ruby explained, for lack of a better word.

"I know how it looks guys, trust me, but when we get inside it will completely blow your mind," he promised. They followed him inside and he walked up to the register smiling. Inside was still not much more impressive than the outside. There were a few clothes, some mugs and toys and other such items for sale spread out around the room. It didn't look like much more than a gift shop.

"Hi John! Remember me?" he asked the man standing there.

"Of course! If it isn't Mr. Steven Universe in the flesh! How you been son?" the man laughed and leaned down to give Steven a high five.

"I've been good! Guys my dad and John knew each other from high school!" Steven explained.

"Yep. Greg and I were best buds. After I moved here, he even sent me this photo of his girlfriend. I couldn't believe that someone like him would get someone like her, but hey, love is love," he chuckled, showing them a picture of Greg and Rose.

"So John, my friend here has to get a present for Sap- Uh, for her girlfriend," he laughed, and Ruby couldn't keep from blushing madly. She had never actually heard Sapphire been called her girlfriend. Were they? Sure, they were in a relationship and they were in love. But girlfriend just didn't seem like the right word for two gems. Nonetheless, it was probably the only way to explain the relationship to a human, so she didn't question it.

"Ah, well then my lady, you have come to the right place," he chuckled, and jumped over the counter. "Follow me," he waved his hand and the three shorter beings followed him to a trap door in the wooden floor near the back of the store.

"This is where the real stuff is," he chuckled, and flicked on a light as he made his way down the stairs. Connie and Ruby gasped, and Steven just grinned.

"See! I told you guys!" he laughed. It looked like they were in a different world. The walls were black and still somehow managed to be vibrant and bright. Along the walls were thousands of incredible T-shirts, coats, instruments, paintings, and posters. On shelves around the room were countless antiques, more shirts, a few more instruments, and some miscellaneous items spread within the mix.

"Thanks John!" Steven grinned and he winked at the boy before making his way back up the stairs.

"Wow, Steven it's... It's incredible!" Ruby stared at the room.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find a present for Sapphire!" the three of them made their way down the steps.

Steven and Connie, though they had unfused to help cover more ground, stayed close to each other. Occasionally one of them would find a funny shirt or an old book and their constant laughter echoed throughout the room. Not that Ruby minded, but she really needed to keep focused. She walked slowly through isles, though she wondered if she could call them that, because the shelves were aligned in skewered positions throughout the store.

She ran her eyes over countless items, but after awhile they all started to look the same. Until, that is, they screeched to a stop when she saw the object sparkling in the dim light provided by the room. She held in in her hands gently, as if a single wrong touch would break it. Steven came around the corner wearing a cat mask and a shirt that said "I'm purrfect" with Connie by his side, but both stopped when they saw the object in her hands.

"Oh wow, Ruby that's gorgeous!" Connie walked over and looked at the necklace. Indeed, it was quite beautiful. It was made of a silver chain, and the charm hanging at the end, though small, was a beautiful red-violet colored gemstone. Sure, it was fake, but it was still beautiful.

"Do you... Do you think Sapphire will like it?" she asked sheepishly, her face going from scarlet to a wine color instantly.

"How could she not? She's gonna love it Ruby!" Steven promised with a grin plastered on his face. Minutes later, everyone was back in the car. John had even wrapped the necklace for them, and Steven carried out two bags. One had presents for each of the gems, and the other had a present for Connie. He stowed them all in the back before fusion again with the young girl. Stevonnie chuckled as they got in the driver's seat.

"So... You really think she'll like it?" Ruby was honestly worried, something that happened often enough, but usually without reason. The fusion next to her chuckled.

"I promise you Ruby, Sapphire will love it. Not just because it came from you, but because you put a lot of thought into it. You spent two full days tirelessly looking for the perfect gift, and she's going to love it, because she loves you," something about the words calmed the red gem down, and the ride home was completed in comfortable silence.

Connie walked with Steven and Ruby back to the temple where her dad was waiting to pick her up. The two kids said their goodbyes and then Steven went with Ruby inside.

"We're back!" he called out happily. Pearl was in the kitchen making dinner, while Amethyst was sitting at the table with Sapphire. She desperately was trying to win at chess, but it was clear that she was losing. Ruby wouldn't be surprised if Sapphire had even let her capture the few white pieces the purple gem had by her side. She had loved the game since it's invention and was an expert at it.

"Did you guys have fun?" Amethyst shot a knowing wink towards the red gem and she blushed.

"Yeah, it was fun! That store was even better than last time!" Steven laughed as he ran up to his bedroom to put his gifts by his beside. He would wrap the rest of them later. He'd purchased a charm bracelet for Pearl, a pair of bright neon rollerblades for Amethyst, and a black T-shirt with the words "Girl power" on it in bright white letters for Garnet. He'd also purchased a poster for Connie of Lisa from their favorite book series "The Spirit Morph Saga".

Sapphire grinned and pecked Ruby's cheek as the red gem sat beside her.

"Are you winning?" she asked. Though she already knew the answer, the events of the day and the stress she had been feeling was catching up to her, and she was thoroughly exhausted, so she didn't really mind what she was saying. The blue gem, sensing this, chuckled and nodded, pulling her partner closer so she could rest her head against her shoulder. Ruby snuggled against Sapphire and graciously accepted the offer, leaning her head down and allowing herself to drift off to sleep.

* * *

It was the 24th of December. The entire day, all the gems were actually excited for the holiday, even Pearl. Steven had his radio playing Christmas carols all day, and because they weren't used to them, they didn't grow old to the gems. In fact, all four seemed to greatly enjoy the music. There were some songs, however, that he sensed wouldn't be to their liking, like "I'll Be Home For Christamas". Though the gems had no true way of knowing, it was a song about a solider not being able to make it home, but dreaming about doing so. He wondered if that would trigger any memories about Rose, so he quickly changed the channel. Luckily, most of them were playing similar music.

Steven invited Connie over again to spend the day with him, but she had to stay home because her relatives had come to visit from another country. She had promised she would come and visit him soon. So instead, he spent his day helping Pearl make cookies and dancing to Christmas carols.

By the time evening came, Steven couldn't sleep. He couldn't wait for the next day to celebrate, so he instead decided he would celebrate as soon as the clock struck 12. At least that way it would still technically be Christmas and he wouldn't have to wait so long. Sure enough, as the minute hand and the hour hand lined up perfectly pointing towards the twelve on the clock, the young boy was wide awake.

"Christmas time!" he shouted. The gems all retreated from their respective rooms and laughed as they sat around the tree with him. The gifts were given out quickly, and Steven saved his own for the gems for last. He handed them out one by one and was given a tight hug and kiss from each of them.

"Oh Ruby! Here," he grinned and handed her the box with the necklace. She nervously thanked him while a blush spread across her face as she gave a weak smile and handed the box to Sapphire.

"Ruby, you really didn't have to get me anything," her blue companion chuckled. Despite that, she leaned over and kissed Ruby on the lips, but only for a few moments. She the carefully unwrapped the box, and when she opened it she didn't say anything. She just moved the bangs from her single eye and stared.

"Do you... Like it?" Ruby questioned nervously. She was terrified of what the answer would be, and she wasn't entirely sure she had asked the question out loud, because the blue gem still said nothing. Then, she threw her arms around Ruby's neck and hugged her tightly, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Oh Ruby it's wonderful, I love it so much!" Sapphire cried, planting gentle but fast paced kisses over her lover's face. "Thank you," she whispered, placing a firm kiss against Ruby's dark red lips. When she pulled back, both were in tears and laughing.

"I'm glad you like it," Ruby finally managed to get her words out, and Sapphire quickly put the necklace on for the rest of the gems to see. After some admiration, Steven remember the song.

"Oh! Sapphire! Do you wanna do it now? Can we please please please?" he begged. He was just as excited about the blue gem for her present to Ruby, but probably not as nervous. He knew that the normally hot tempered gem would love the song, and deep down, Sapphire knew she would like it, but she also knew that to spare her feelings Ruby wouldn't hesitate to lie about it as well. Though she wasn't a good liar, she didn't usually admit when she was lying, so she would never actually say that she didn't like it.

"Uh... Right now?" she questioned nervously.

"Yeah! Come on, you'll be fine!" he promised. He grabbed his ukulele and after a quick nod started strumming. The other three gems watched them in curiosity. The moment Sapphire's voice hit Ruby's ears, she was in an immediate and unbreakable trans.

"This is my winter song to you.  
The storm is coming soon,  
it rolls in from the sea

My voice; a beacon in the night.  
My words will be your light,  
to carry you to me.

Is love alive?  
Is love alive?  
Is love..."

Steven looked between the smiling faces of the gems who were watching them. Never before had he seen Ruby cry more than a few solo tears, but now she had water streaming down her face. But, he could tell the tears were from a source of joy and happiness, and it made him smile as well.

"They say that things just cannot grow  
beneath the winter snow,  
or so I have been told.

They say we're buried far,  
just like a distant star  
I simply cannot hold.

Is love alive?  
Is love alive?  
Is love alive?

This is my winter song.  
December never felt so wrong,  
cause you're not where you belong;  
inside my arms.

Sapphire kept her eye focused on the ground. She had never been so nervous to sing at all, even in front of others. It was just something that was natural to her. But for some reason she couldn't muster up the courage to even look at Ruby. She sang on, keeping her eye pointed downwards, Steven lightly and quietly singing back up vocals for her.

"I still believe in summer days.  
The seasons always change  
and life will find a way.

I'll be your harvester of light  
and send it out tonight  
so we can start again.

Is love alive?  
Is love alive?  
Is love alive?

This is my winter song.  
December never felt so wrong,  
cause you're not where you belong;  
inside my arms.

This is my winter song to you.  
The storm is coming soon  
it rolls in from the sea.

My love a beacon in the night.  
My words will be your light  
to carry you to me.

Is love alive?  
Is love alive?  
Is love alive?  
Is love alive?  
Is love alive?  
Is love alive?"

For the first time since the song had started, Sapphire dared to look into Ruby's eyes. They were drowning in tears, but a huge smile was plastered on her face. It was enough to give the blue gem the strength to finish without bursting into tears herself.

"Is love alive?  
Is love alive?  
Is love alive?  
Is love alive?  
Is love alive?"

The song ended, and it seemed like hours before anyone moved. In reality, Ruby couldn't get closer to Sapphire fast enough. She engulfed her in the tightest embrace she could possibly manage without hurting her, tears pouring down her cheeks and unable to contain her smile. Sapphire just hugged her back, relieved that she had actually made it through the entire song.

"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard... I love you Sapphire, so much," Ruby whispered, kissing her deeply. A light started to fill the room, but just before it did, the red gem caught the soft voice of her companion.

"I love you too Ruby."

Garnet couldn't contain her laughter at the feeling of love that was bursting in her chest. She hugged Steven tightly and quickly the other two gems joined in.

"Well Steven, you were right, this was definitely a holiday worth celebrating," the taller gem chuckled, placing a kiss on his forehead. And it was true. Never before had any of the gems felt so close to each other. Love was indeed alive. And it was there to stay.


End file.
